It’s about opportunity
It’s about opportunity
The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization projects that Hawaii’s construction sector will peak and then start declining within about a year. This is one more reason we support the Thirty Meter Telescope. Its construction jobs will help our island’s economy during the telescope’s 10-year building phase and throughout the 50-year life of the project.
We also believe the broken UH teaching telescope, Hoku Kea, should not be decommissioned. A replacement, state-of-the-art telescope is here already, but talk has been about relocating it to the UH-Hilo campus. Wait — put a telescope almost at sea level in the rainiest city in the U.S., rather than at one of the best astronomy locations in the world? Why would we do that?
We need to support the TMT and Hoku Kea to help our economy and increase our students’ learning opportunities.
These goals are so much more positive than Palikapu Dedman digging up our ancestors’ bones and relocating them to an unpermitted ahu on Mauna Kea in an effort to block construction. I vigorously protest his doing that. Who gives him the right to speak for me?
I want opportunities for our keiki to become excited and knowledgeable about science. I want opportunities that help keep our economy on track. It’s what we all want. The Hoku Kea and TMT will provide these opportunities.
Richard Ha
Hilo
‘A dark secret’
After reading about foreign fishermen being held captive on Hawaii fishing boats, my interest in eating the seafood sold in stores has gone down dramatically. I lose my appetite knowing the fact that people have been treated unfairly and inhumanely. I couldn’t believe such a dark secret exists in such a common Hawaii practice and tradition of eating fish regularly.
Foreign fishermen are being paid very little for their labor, kept in cages and are being underfed. I believe we should not support these operations. The public should be told where the fish we are buying and eating in our local restaurants and super stores come from and how it is caught and by who. We should be working on hiring local people and supporting local industry to fish and pay them a decent wage so that they can live and contribute to our way of life.
I want to eat fish on a regular basis but not contribute or support the inhumane treatment of foreign or local fishermen.
We are told to strive to eat a healthier diet, so give us the option to pay a higher price for fish caught by fishermen who are treated well and paid a respectful wage. We must make a positive change by giving up stealing people from their homelands and treating them like animals just because we want a cheap poke bowl.
Ronnie Baldos Jr.
Hilo